Mantracker stalked by hundreds of Saultbies

Annie Gerard went to Lemieux Composting for dirt. That's how she found out Mantracker was coming to town. Today she tracked down the tracker.

Oct 3, 2008 8:19 AM on Sootoday by: Carol Martin

Annie Gerard went to Lemieux Composting for dirt.

That's how she found out Mantracker was coming to town.

Today she tracked down the tracker.

Gerard is a big fan of the show and she was one of several hundred Sault-area folk who flocked to meet Terry Grant, star of the OLN Channel television show Mantracker.

Also on hand was Mantracker's local sidekick, Phil Lemieux.Gerard is seen front and centre, flanked by Lemieux and Mantracker.

"They're amazing," she said. "Especially when he's with the fellow from the Sault."

Grant stopped off here to visit Lemieux's family and friends after the two finished shooting a Mantracker episode for Season 4 in Elliot Lake.

He spent more than three hours trying to meet everyone who came to the East End composting facility owned by the Lemieux family.

"All his shows are good," Gerard said. "But when he does it from the Sault and area you can pick out points in some of the places and it's really cool."Meanhile, Cathy Lemieux was dishing dirt on Mantracker.

"Right from the time Terry and Phil met, they've been good friends ever since," Lemieux said. "If nothing else, Phil said that if it never went past that first season, he made a good friend so it was good."

Lemieux also said Mantracker is actually a really nice guy.At least he is if he's not hunting you down like a dog through some brutal, isolated wilderness.Like say the Hiawatha Highlands, just north of the Sault.

"When he's on the show, it's his job and he's serious," Lemieux said. "He takes tracking and capturing the prey very seriously."

The thing that drew Phil and Mantracker together off the show though is horses, said Kathy Lemieux.

"Him and Phil just seem to get along," she said. "They have a lot of the same interests."It's no secret that Mantracker is rather fond of horses and Phil has been around and handling horses practically since before he was born, Kathy said.

Bailey, the handsome horse who'll make his debut in Season 4 of Mantracker, is Phil's pride and joy.

"He bought him young and trained him for riding," said Lemieux.It was probably that love of horses that brought him to the notice of Mantracker producers.That, and a good friend.

"George Pinder, a friend of Phil's, put his name into the show and when they called and wanted a bio and a photo, Phil thought someone was playing a joke," Lemieux said.

Obviously, Phil did send in the info and Mantracker producers asked him to do an episode with Terry.

It turned into two episodes in Season 2 and another two episodes in Season 3.

Season 4 is due to begin airing in summer of 2009.​To find out more about the show, visit its website.

Terry Grant, star of the OLN Channel television show Mantracker will be signing autographs and posing for pictures today at Lemieux Composting, 764 Black Road across from Strathclair Park.

Grant and his local sidekick Phil Lemieux will be there, rain or shine, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Phil has participated in Mantracker episodes filmed at Robertson Cliffs, Searchmont, Sault Ste. Marie and Elliot Lake.​He and Mantracker just finished filming an episode for Season Four, which will air next year.For more on the popular program, please click here.